Improvement in car-racks



Patented April 30, 1872.

PM! \i THOMAS S. HU DSON.

- FE E of the web or body forming strips UNITED STATES THOMAS S. HUDSON, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-RACKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 126,298, dated April 30, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS S. HUDSON, of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Car-Rack; and 1 do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawing which accompanies and forms part of this specification, is a description of my invention sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

My invention relates to the construction of the basket-like racks with which modern railway cars are provided for holding hats, traveling-bags, bundles, and other articles, and to the manner of hanging such racks to the car.

In my invention I use skeleton-rods to connect the heads of the rack, (the rods and heads forming the frame,) and I pass such rods through loops made in narrow strips of thin metal, or through interlacings of such narrow strips, the strips forming the body or web of the rack. It is in a rack made up of the heads and connecting-rods, and having a web or body formed of narrow strips of thin sheet metal, through loops or interlacings of which the rods run, that my invention primarily consists.

I prefer to arrange the metal strips in parallel rows, right angularly to the rods, and to pass the rods through loops formed by slitting the metal so as to make a center piece to be bent in one direction, and two side pieces to be bent in the opposite direction, (thus forming an eye or loop through which the rod can be run,) the strips being preferably kept at proper distance apart by short sleeves or thim bles; and I also prefer to make the body of corrugated metal strips.

The drawing represents an embodiment of my invention in this form, one of the heads and the adjacent parts of the rods and several being shown.

(t denotes the head, which may be of cast metal and of ornamental configuration. b de= notes the rods or ribs extending from one head to another, and similar one to form the framework of the rack. 0 denotes the strips, each shown as corrugated with lateral corrugations,

and each slit at the several points where the several rods are to pass through it, as seen at d. After each rod is passed through one of the eyes or loops thus formed the rod is run through a short tube or thimble, e, and then through another strip, 0, and another thimble, e, and so on until a sutficient length is formed, when the other head is placed upon the rods, the thimbles keeping the strips apart and preserving their parallelism.

The rack thus formed is very neat, strong, and inexpensive, and may be readily made without employment of skilled labor. They may be taken to pieces for transportation, being readily put together wherever a car is to be provided with such racks.

Instead of using corrugated strips plain strips may be employed, and they may be fastened to the rods by pins or rivets and, instead of arranging the strips as shown, they may run diagonally and be interwoven, the rods pass ing through the strands. I prefer, however, the specific construction shown in the drawing.

Each head is provided with two ears, f, by means of which and joint-pins g the rack may be hung to two bearings or hangers, h, fixed to and projectingfrom the side Wall ofthe car; this construction enabling the racks to be readily removed when the car is to be repaired or cleansed, or for cleaning the racks. The heads are not only made of general ornamental form, as shown, but each head is formed at its lower part :with a circular ring, t', for the attachment of a rosette, k, or of a medallion, as seen at O, the ring or circular formation constituting a framing or setting for a rosette or a medallion, the ring being itself more or less filled with integral ornamental pieces, or being simply provided with the spokes l and center m for reception of the pin it that confines the rosette or medallion; or it may be made without any internally-projectin g pieces, the inner circular edge directly receiving and serving as a bearing for the medallion.

I'claim- 1. A carrack having the two heads a connected by rods b, the heads and rods forming a frame, upon which is built a web or body consisting of the strips of narrow sheet metal, substantially as described.

2. Also, a body or web for the frame, composed of thin, narrow, corrugated strips of metal.

3. Also, the strips connected to the rods by annular frame, 1', for reception of a rosette or means of loops or eyes d formed in the strips, a medallion, substantially as shown and desnbstantially as shown and described. scribed.

4. Also, strips connected to the rods, as de- THOS. S. HUDSON. scribed, and kept in relative position by the Witnesses: rod-encompassing tubes or thimbles e. FRANCIS GOULD,

5. Also, forming each head with a ring or M. W. FROTHINGHAM. 

